Embracing the Power of a Growth Mindset: How to Cultivate It

Unlock your potential with a mindset that thrives on challenges.

"I cannot do it." I hear these words almost weekly in my coaching sessions. It often slips out even before people realise they have disqualified themselves, even before they tried the action steps, they’ve assigned to themselves. I would describe this thinking as a fixed mindset—the belief that the qualities we have, both good and bad, are fixed. We cannot truly change or grow what we have been given. It might surprise you to realise that for all the talk about growth, many of us have the blind spot of, at our core, believing that we cannot grow our abilities and learn new traits.

In this blog post, I want to challenge the idea of a fixed mindset with what psychologist Carol Dweck calls a growth mindset. A growth mindset essentially says that we can grow and develop through determination, feedback that stimulates learning, and hard work.

People with a growth mindset choose to see the world through the lens of learning instead of the status quo. When setbacks or failures occur, they embrace the discomfort and learn what they can before moving on.

People with a growth mindset choose to see the world through the lens of learning instead of the status quo.

A growth mindset is not about avoiding the reality of strengths and weaknesses, or the limitations that exist in society. A growth mindset recognises these starting points as opportunities for growth. A growth mindset is also not reckless; it doesn’t involve attempting to run a marathon before completing one kilometre. Rather, a growth mindset sets a goal and takes steps to reach that goal.

A growth mindset is not about avoiding the reality of strengths and weaknesses, or the limitations that exist in society.

I have coached several people who were convinced that they could never plan or structure their week effectively. Phrases like "I’m a creative" or "I have never been able to" were often used as excuses for behaviour. Through our sessions, awareness started to grow. While it may not have been a natural strength, basic habits and structure helped them grow in these areas. The point being that our mindset about an area in our lives either fixes us in that position or challenges us to take ownership and grow. It does not mean that you will become the so-called best at something, but it does mean that you can improve.

Ways to cultivate a growth mindset:

Failure is feedback:

One of the areas we can all grow in is our view of failure. One time in a workshop I attended, someone challenged this idea by suggesting we replace the word "failure" with "feedback." This small change focuses on what you can learn from something that didn’t go as planned or hoped for.

Celebrate progress:

Another way to cultivate a growth mindset is to celebrate progress instead of only focusing on the end results. By celebrating progress, you will stay motivated and focused on growth.

Challenge limitations:

Our view of the world is formed through what we see and hear. When what we see and hear aligns with our experience, we accept it as the way it should be. Our view of ourselves and what we can achieve is also formed this way. Identify some areas you have accepted as limitations and challenge them by asking, "What would growth in this area look like?"

Conclusion:

People who cultivate a growth mindset have found that they are more resilient in the face of change and hardship. While limitations may often make us feel safe because they remind us to stay in areas we are most practised in, I want to challenge you to venture out in one or two areas of your life and experience the life-giving change that a growth mindset brings.

People who cultivate a growth mindset have found that they are more resilient in the face of change and hardship.

Coach U:

When you look at the ways I mentioned for cultivating a growth mindset, which of them stand out, and what makes you say that? What are two areas of growth in your life? What steps can you take this week toward that growth?

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